SNC Statement to the Syrian Expatriate and International Community

Farah News Online: The Syrian National Council (SNC) salutes the brave Syrian people, who are in the midst of one of the greatest revolutions the modern world has seen.

The Syrian Revolution, in its demands for freedom and dignity, has been struggling for more than 10 months to oust the regime while the repressive gangs of Bashar al-Assad have engaged in a policy of repression, killing, and torture.

Day after day, the regime has intensified its repression and the killing of innocents. In recent days, we have witnessed escalating violence against women and children. The most active of Syrian cities have been subjected to increased numbers of fallen heroes, including children. We view the recent escalation of violence as a serious indication that Bashar al-Assad intends to commit even more massacres against the Syrian population. Media reports and television images of our child martyrs have moved the world and left us near-speechless at the severity of Bashar Al-Assad’s crimes.

The regime’s atrocities have not deterred our people from continuing the Revolution, regardless of the sacrifices they are enduring to rid themselves of the 40-year nightmarish rule of the Assad family. UNICEF affirmed in its report on the humanitarian situation that at least 384 children have been killed and another 380 arrested over the past 10 months. These figures add to the mounting evidence of Bashar al-Assad’s brutality and flagrant disregard for human values: he has unflinchingly issued orders to kill innocent children as part of his regime’s attempt to intimidate the Syrian people and put an end to the uprising. We will not stop until we end the regime’s injustice, oppression, and terrorism that has been in place since 1970.

IT IS TIME FOR ACTION

The SNC brings to the attention of the Arab world and the international community that the Assad regime is determined to commit even more crimes against the Syrian people. This is evidenced by the last address, in which the regime announced its intention to pursue a “security solution to combat armed gangs.” The regime, in effect, has declared war on our people.

In light of the regime’s most recent massacres in Syria, the SNC will meet with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) tomorrow, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2012, as part of an emergency session. A delegation, headed by Dr. Burhan Ghalioun, will present to the UNSC the case of the Syrian people and demand international protection for civilians in Syria.

We call upon all Syrian expatriates to show their solidarity with our fellow Syrians at home. We ask our expatriates worldwide to conduct a peaceful sit-in in front of Russian embassies and consulates in all nations at 2:00 pm EST on Sunday, Jan. 29.

The Syrian people offer their sincere thanks to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as the Kingdom of Morocco and other Arab countries, that have sought to help the Syrian people and stop the bloodshed in Syria.

The SNC also thanks those members of the international community that have advocated for issues of freedom, democracy, and human rights in Syria.

The SNC calls on all international and UN organizations to provide a mechanism for humanitarian assistance and relief to the stricken cities of Homs, Hama, Idlib, the Damascus suburbs, Daraa, and Deir Ezzor.

The SNC denounces the Iranian government for its participation in the continued bloodshed in Syria. We call upon the Iranian government to stop supporting the Assad regime’s crackdown on the Revolution and to consider the future of Syrian-Iranian relations.

Finally, we reiterate our deep admiration for our great Syrian people, who have continued to protest in recent days despite the daily exposure to the worst of humanitarian abuses and massacres, particularly in Homs, Hama Daraa the Damascus suburbs, and Idlib.

The Revolutionary Movement, the Free Syrian Army, and the SNC are components of the Syrian Revolution. We seek to establish a free Syria as a civil, pluralistic, and deliberative democracy.